Volvo XC60 shows a darker side with new limited run Black Edition

Having soldiered on quietly since its last refresh three years ago, Volvo Car South Africa has introduced a new limited edition variant of the XC60 as part of a range expansion for the now seven-year old second generation SUV.

Black attire

Supplementing the existing Dark and Bright derivatives, the Black Edition uses the mid-range Plus and flagship Ultimate trim grades of the former as a base, albeit with a unique Onyx Black exterior finish as opposed to the more conventional detailing.

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Limited to 23 examples, the Black further gets five-spoke 21-inch gloss black alloy wheels, a black finish for the Volvo badges and a blacked-out Iron Mask grille.

Inside, the darkened touches consist of a charcoal roofliner and a choice of two upholstery options; charcoal Nappa leather with textile finishes, or full ventilated Nappa leather.

Mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid

Elsewhere, standard specification remains unchanged, with the same applying to the choice of powertrains, both paired to the eight-speed Geartronic gearbox with drive going to all four wheels.

In the case of Plus-based models, the mild-hybrid B5 or the plug-in hybrid T8 can be specified with outputs of 183kW/350Nm for the former and 340kW/709Nm for the latter.

Opting for the Ultimate means the hybrid comes standard, which involves the 2.0-litre Drive-E turbo-and-supercharged petrol engine being combined with a 18.8-kWh battery pack Volvo claims will do 61 km between trips to the plug.

While top speed is limited to 180 km/h, the B5 will get from 0-100 km/h in a claimed 6.9 seconds, while the T8 will dispatch the benchmark sprint in 4.8 seconds.

Price

Now available for ordering, each XC60 Black Edition’s sticker price includes a five-year/100 000 km maintenance plan plus an eight-year/195 000 km battery warranty on the T8.

• XC60 B5 Essential AWD Geartronic – R988 400
• XC60 B5 Plus Dark AWD Geartronic – R1 031 400
• XC60 B5 Plus Black Edition AWD Geartronic – R1 092 500
• XC60 B5 Ultimate Dark AWD Geartronic – R1 122 400
• XC60 T8 Plus Dark AWD Geartronic – R1 314 000
• XC60 T8 Plus Bright AWD Geartronic – R1 350 000
• XC60 T8 Plus Black Edition AWD Geartonic – R1 364 000
• XC60 T8 Ultimate Dark AWD Geartronic – R1 388 000
• XC60 T8 Ultimate Bright AWD Geartronic – R1 390 000

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